Chapter 46
HEL SCANS
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It wasn’t just empty talk.
Luke pulled an exact third of a gold coin from the pouch the Hero had given him, and handed the rest to Evergreen.
“This is for you guys.”
“Uh, what?”
“I’ll be on my way then.”
Even though Evergreen looked at Luke with a puzzled expression, he had already turned around swiftly.
A somewhat annoying voice followed.
“I’ll be drinking at a nearby tavern, so come after you finish sightseeing.”
“No, no! Just a moment…”
Evergreen closed her mouth abruptly due to the unexpected turn of events.
‘This seems a bit odd!’
Despite coming together with classmates for a leisure outing, they were wandering separately.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a big problem.
It wouldn’t, but…
‘….’
Her eyes, slightly narrowed, were fixed on Luke’s retreating figure.
His long legs made him swiftly move away with each step.
‘Luke, what’s going on?’
She had noticed that Luke’s mood was different than usual, from the moment they set out.
It was because he hadn’t spoken a single word until they arrived at the fair.
Even though they weren’t close, she knew that Luke wasn’t normally that reticent.
During the first class, watching the professor and Gerald spar, he explained things in detail.
So Evergreen had come to think of Luke as a good fellow, a little cocky but good at heart.
‘Going to drink alone like that…’
The gloomy side profile that had been present all day comes to her mind.
Evergreen whimpered and ran over to Luke, gently tugging on his sleeve.
“What’s up?”
“It’s just!”
Despite her bruised pride, there was no other way.
“Well, how are we supposed to navigate through this complex place on our own!”
Luke’s dark black eyebrows narrow.
“What nonsense is this all of a sudden?”
Yet, Evergreen didn’t back down.
“Me! A rustic girl from Solintail! This bustling place is confusing!”
“Not just me, there’s that guy too…”
But Luke’s words are cut off abruptly.
“Ban!”
“……”
“Of course, Ban is incredibly smart and comes from a well-respected family, but! He might not be comfortable in such a busy place, right, Ban?! Huh? You’re like a library-worm!”
Ban raises his head in surprise.
Evergreen adds slyly, “And those… delinquents or something? Yeah, there could be plenty of them. It’s a reasonable concern.”
Luke looked at Evergreen with an incredulous expression.
In a place so crowded that pedestrians could trample each other, delinquents?
And…
‘You wouldn’t be the one to fall victim to delinquents.’
Thinking of her special bow that even an adult man couldn’t pull with all his strength, Luke shivered.
Local delinquents, even if they came in a few carriages, wouldn’t be able to handle that innocent girl.
“So, help me a bit. I had high expectations for today.”
Despite his hesitating reaction, Evergreen, undeterred, persuaded Luke kindly.
Luke’s stiff shoulders suddenly relaxed.
“Ah, seriously, how annoying.”
Life as a grown-up ‘man’ who only had his uncle.
The power of a girl of the same age was more powerful over him than expected.
[PR/N: Relatable moment luke ??]
“Come on.”
Evergreen’s pupils curved like crescent moons.
Motioning to her back, Evergreen said, “Ban, it’s settled! Come quickly!”
Perhaps secretly hoping for Luke’s participation, Ban approached with a charming smile.
Observing the scene of these classmates, Luke, who had been watching quietly, uttered a few words.
“What have you guys been doing all this time, not having any fun?”
“…”
“You guys act like saints.”
Evergreen had a lot to say, but she kept it in and slipped between the two.
“Let’s go quickly! If we have time later, we can also stop by a tavern!”
And so, the kids were drawn into the crowded crowd.
* * *
About an hour away from the fairground, there was a rugged mountain slope where a group of rough-looking men had gathered.
“Ugh, my stomach still feels queasy, sir.”
“Are you still whining? Shut your mouth.”
“Ugh, sorry. But thinking about riding that thing again… Oh, Oweeek!”
One of the younger-looking guys ran into the bushes, vomiting.
Of course, the expressions of the others watching him weren’t exactly pleased.
Young men in their twenties.
HEL SCANS
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At first glance, they were a very strange group that seemed to have nothing in common.
Slim and skinny individuals mixed with those with sturdy frames, and their weapons and attire were all different.
A seemingly bizarre group with no apparent commonality.
Some even looked ridiculous because they were wearing clothes that were the wrong size.
However, there was one thing.
Their sinister, accustomed-to-evil, and violent eyes.
That, at least, was uniform among them.
Addressed as ‘hyungnim’ (older brother), the man with the most powerful presence among them spoke up.
“Still, thanks to that, we were able to traverse the continent in just three days. No one could have imagined that we’d be in the western region now.”
The leader had quite a formidable appearance.
A missing nose bridge, sharp and slitted eyes.
His cruel expression made his face seem devoid of any human emotions throughout his life.
One subordinate, looking at him with a mixture of admiration and fear, spoke.
“By the way, I’m still in shock. Who would have thought we’d survive and come out of that notorious Stagnum…”
“Yeah, it was pure luck.”
The leader reminisced about three days ago.
It was an unusually dark and pitch-black night.
Locked in a cell with no hope, waiting only for death.
The entire prison vibrated, and a deafening noise echoed through the corridors.
A wall several meters thick fell, and they… the Demonic church, barged in.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Seeing the possibility of escape, there was no time for hesitation.
Amidst the thick smell of blood, the sound of footsteps, and the clang of metal, they escaped from the echoing corridors.
“Expelled student Desmond Lusser, that’s you, right?”
The one who addressed him was also a man in prisoner’s clothing.
On the other side of the chaotic corridor turned battlefield, he strolled casually, his face strangely calm given the situation.
“…Do you know me?”
“Desmond Lusser, involved in 17 counts of serial killings of nobles, inflicted serious injuries on dozens of Imperial soldiers during the arrest process… Should I go on?”
“Knowing someone well isn’t always a good thing.”
Under normal circumstances, he would have choked the man’s throat then and there.
However, Desmond suppressed the impulse.
It was because he saw a ominous pattern engraved clearly on the man’s backhand.
A worshipper of the Demon King.
And, as far as Desmond knew, the location of the engraving on the body varied according to the rank within the Demonic church.
‘Back of the hand… an officer.’
The edge of caution was instantly established.
While he was quite a formidable figure among outlaws, in front of an officer of the Demonic church, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
“What do you want?”
“Running away like this, you know you won’t get far before getting caught, right?”
Desmond, pierced to the core, fell silent.
Stagnum was located in the middle of a very deep lake.
Even if they managed to escape, the plan for what came after was vague.
But…
“Even if you’re just killing people, it’s one thing to be on the gallows.”
“If there’s a way to spare my life…”
The inevitable proposition followed.
“Do one job for us. Then, not only will I safely get you out of this chaos, but I’ll also provide you with a foundation to start anew on the outside.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Well, then there’ll be one more grave in the backyard of Stagnum, won’t there?”
And so, that’s how he ended up in the distant west.
As it turned out, most of the subordinates who were captured together were also in a state where the Demonic church rescued them.
Moreover, with their peculiar methods, they even restored bodies that had become damaged or injured seriously.
‘If I can successfully finish this one task, it’s a fresh start, just this one time.’
Desmond turned his head and looked behind.
“…”
There, leaning against a beautiful tree, there was a ‘silhouette’ calmly gazing at the sky.
A reinforcement sent by the Demonic church to accompany him in this mission.
They joined right after the escape from Stagnum.
Wrapped in a thick, long robe that concealed their entire body and with a voice magically modulated, their identity was an unknown, neither gender nor age discernible.
And next to them.
Kikirurururu-!
A huge monstrous creature lay there, emitting a strange wailing sound.
A malignant bird called Myrmat, was it?
‘At least an upper-grade… no, perhaps a top-grade demon.’
With the appearance of a mixture of a crow and a bat, its wings were bizarrely enormous.
The fact that the group was able to swiftly escape the Imperial Army’s encirclement was thanks to this demon.
They covered the distance from the northernmost tip of the continent to here in less than three days.
‘Demon taming, huh. Those damn followers of the Demon King, doing all sorts of things.’
It was a bizarre phenomenon, a creature he had never seen before, even with his robust knowledge.
Of course, many had attempted demon taming before.
They all ended up in a sorry state.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Whatever cruel methods they used to gain power, it was entirely unrelated to him.
What mattered now was… just the reward they promised.
Desmond raised his voice.
“Let’s confirm the details of the request one last time. We’re causing chaos for exactly 15 minutes, then we’re out.”
A nod.
“During that time, you’ll find the item or whatever it is, then meet us at the agreed-upon location to escape together. The remaining payment will be settled at that time.”
Another nod.
“…Items captured during the operation will be our property, correct?”
A nod.
Despite consecutive questions, the envoy from the Demonic Church didn’t bother to look at him, only nodding in response.
Desmond had to endure their arrogant attitude, keeping his impatience in check.
‘It’s a chance to change my life.’
The fee they offered for the task was truly staggering.
It was enough to settle his dreary life at the bottom and start anew.
He had already received 30% of the upfront payment. If he could safely receive the rest, a new life awaited him and his subordinates.
‘I don’t like the idea of some unknown thing being the client, but…’
If the situation turned uncomfortable, he could withdraw immediately. His knowledge of the local geography was sharp enough to navigate with closed eyes.
Expelled student Desmond.
He recalled the faded memories from a dozen years ago and twisted a wry smile.
Piiiiing-!
Suddenly, a sharp flute sound echoed.
Urung!
With the sound of the ground vibrating, the demon raised its massive body.
Desmond gestured to his subordinates, “Let’s go!”
Subordinates gathered swiftly.
Each of them was a skilled warrior capable of easily taking down an average knight.
‘We weren’t imprisoned in Stagnum for no reason.’
As expected, even if the security at the exhibition is strict, causing a disturBance for about 15 minutes should be enough.
They had also been provided with powerful artifacts suitable for a convenient ambush.
Desmond, massaging the hefty pouch on his hip, stood in front of the envoy from the Demonic church.
Hi-!
Before Desmond could shudder at the eerie sound of the wind, the next words followed.
“Now, let’s depart.”
The grotesquely modulated voice urged them on with an unsettling tone.
HEL SCANS
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